DENVER, COLO. — A current Pilgrim’s Pride employee from Elbert County, Ga., filed a lawsuit against her employer for a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Bennetta Green alleges that Pilgrim’s Pride neglected to pay her overtime since her onboarding in May 2022.
Green is a superintendent over the meat packing operations, her primary responsibilities being working the production line and packaging meat products. Her responsibilities are the same as hourly-paid employees, the lawsuit noted.
Green filed an original collective action complaint on behalf of herself and other employees who allegedly “were misclassified as salaried employees and were not paid time and one-half their respective regular rates of pay for all hours worked over 40 in each seven-day workweek,” the court documents said.
Green said she would work 72 hours a week on average, but because she was classified as salary, she did not get paid time and a half for those additional hours over 40.
The complaint seeks compensation for damages, including back wages, liquidated damages, legal fees, costs and post-judgment interest, for Green and other Pilgrim’s Pride workers.